Road vehicle lighting system having light reflection minimizing fins

ABSTRACT

A lighting system for a road vehicle includes a casing housing a light receiver. The light receiver has associated therewith a lens which is supported by the casing, and which directs light from in front of the vehicle equipped with the system, into the receiver. The casing includes a vertical wall which extends parallel to the optical axis of the receiver, and in order to minimize the risk of reflection of light from the wall into the receiver the wall is provided with a plurality of vertical fins which extend towards the optical axis of the receiver. The fins also extend forwardly towards the lens.

United States Patent Hicks [4 Oct. 10, 1972 [54] ROAD VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEM 3,249,761 5/1966 Baumanns ..3 1 5/82 X HAVING LIGHT REFLECTION 3,478,218 1 1/ 1969 Wuellner et al ..250/237 R MINIMIZING FINS [72] Inventor: Harris Vernon Hicks, Lichfield, En- Primary Examiner-Paul Gensler gland Attorney-Holman & Stern [73] Assignee: Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, 57 ABSTRACT Birmingham, England A lighting system for a road vehicle includes a casing 1 Flledi 1970 housing a light receiver. The light receiver has as- [211 App]. 97,965 sociated therewith a lens which is supported by the casing, and which directs light from in front of the vehicle equipped with the system, into the receiver. [30] Forelg Apphcauon Pnomy Data The casing includes a vertical wall which extends 17 19 9 Great i i 1 43 9 parallel to the optical axis of the receiver, and in order to minimize the risk of reflection of light from the wall [52] US. Cl. ..315/82, 250/237, 250/239 into the receiver the wall is provided with a plurality [51] Int. Cl. ..B60q 1/02 of vertical fins which extend towards the optical axis [58] Field of Search ..315/82, 83; 250/237, 239 of the receiver. The fins also extend forwardly towards the lens. [56] References Cited 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,928,025 3/1960 Mcllvaine ..3l5/83 PKTENTED E 1 0 I97? 3 6 9 7 8 O 3 SHEET 1 [IF 2 I ATTORNEYS PATENTED 10 I97? 3 697 803 SHEET 2 or 2 MWLA ATTORNEYS lens secured to the casing for directing light from an oncomingvehicle into the receiver, the casing including a vertical wall which extends parallel to the optical axis of the receiver and said wall carrying a plurality of vertical fins which extend toward the optical axis of the receiver, said fins minimizing the risk of reflection of light from said wall into the receiver.

One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a lighting system. v

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a practical arrangement of the system.

Referring to the drawings the lighting system includes a hollow rectangular casing 9 which is divided internally by a transversely extending bulkhead 10 into forward and rearward chambers. The forwardly presented side of the forward chamber is closed by a panel 11 having therein a pair of apertures 12,13. The forward chamber is further sub-divided into a pair of compartments by means of a wall 14 which extends between the panel 11 and said transversely extending bulkhead 10.

The bulkhead 10 is formed with a pair of rectangular apertures 12a 13a which are aligned with the apertures 12,13 respectively, and mounted for sliding movement across the rectangular apertures is a pair of interconnected shutters 21,22. Positioned within the rearward chamber and aligned with the apertures l2/12a is a receiver unit including a photo-electric cell, and positioned in the rearward chamber, aligned with the apertures 13, 13a is a light projector including a high intensity bulb.

Associated with the apertures 12,13, respectively are a pair of lenses, the lens associated with the aperture 13 focusing light from the light projector to form a well defined beam of light illuminating the road in front of the vehicle equipped with the lighting system. The lens associated with the aperture 12 directs light from oncoming vehicles into the receiver, to activate the photocell, and the output from the photo cell of the receiver is utilized to control movements of the shutters 21,22. The optical axis of the projector and the receiver system are so aligned that the receiver sees the maximum field which can be illuminated by the projector. If the lights of an oncoming vehicle are positioned within the maximum field of the projector then the receiver sees these lights and the shutters are operated to reduce the width of their respective apertures, thereby cutting off sufficient of the projected beam to avoid dazzling the driver of an oncoming vehicle. Since the receiver system has a shutter associated with it, and movable with the shutter of the projector'then as the relative positions of the vehicle equipped with the system and the oncoming vehicle change the receiver follows the change in relative position of the two vehicles and alters the width of the projected beam accordingly, so that the maximum amount of road is always illuminated by the projected beam without dazzlin the driver of the oncomin vehicle.

1%18 wall 14 prevents light fr%)m the projector, which is scattered within the casing of the system, from being received by the receiver. The surface of the wall 14 presented to the optical axis of the receiver system is provided with a matt black finish, to minimize unwanted reflections of incominglight within the casing of the system. However, commercially available coating preparations which are suitable for use in the system do not provide a true matt black suface, and so if light falling on the wall 14 is sufficiently intense then reflection from the wall 14 can occur, with the possibility of consequential unwanted operation of the system. This problem particularly arises where the lights of a vehicle on the right hand side of the vehicle equipped with the system impinge on the lens associated with the aperture 12, even though the offending vehicle is not within the field of the projected beam. The lights of the offending vehicle are directed by the lens 12 onto the wall 14, and if the intensity of the light from the offending vehicle is sufficiently intense, then the reflection from the wall 14 can cause operation of the system to reduce the width of the projected beam unnecessarily.

In order to minimize further the risk of such unwanted operation of this system the surface of the wall 14 presented to the optical axis of the receiver system is provided with the panel 15 which carries a plurality of vertically extending fins 16. The panel 15 and the fins 16 are also provided with a matt black surface finish, and the fins 16 are parallel, and lie substantially. in parallel planes. The fins 16 are angles with respect to the wall 14 such that the fins extend outwardly from the wall 16 towards the panel 11. Thus any light impinging on the panel 15 which is of sufficiently high intensity to be reflected by the matt black surface will not be reflected towards the receiver.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letter Patent is:

l. A lighting system for a road vehicle including a casing, a light receiver mounted in the casing, and a lens secured to the casing for directing light from an oncoming vehicle into the receiver, the casing including a vertical wall which extends parallel to the optical axis of the receiver and said wall carrying a plurality of vertical fins which extend toward the optical axis of the receiver, said fins minimizing the risk of reflection of light from said wall into the receiver.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fins extend outwardly from said wall towards the optical axis of the receiver and towards said lens.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a projector for producing a beam of light to illuminate the road in front of a vehicle equipped with the system, said projector being housed also in said casing, and the system including means operated by the receiver in response to light received by the receiver for cutting off sufficient of the projected beam to ensure that the projected beam does not fall on the source of the light .ing is matt black paint. 

1. A lighting system for a road vehicle including a casing, a light receiver mounted in the casing, and a lens secured to the casing for directing light from an oncoming vehicle into the receiver, the casing including a vertical wall which extends parallel to the optical axis of the receiver and said wall carrying a plurality of vertical fins which extend toward the optical axis of the receiver, said fins minimizing the risk of reflection of light from said wall into the receiver.
 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fins extend outwardly from said wall towards the optical axis of the receiver and towards said lens.
 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a projector for producing a beam of light to illuminate the road in front of a vehicle equipped with the system, said projector being housed also in said casing, and the system including means operated by the receiver in response to light received by the receiver for cutting off sufficient of the projected beam to ensure that the projected beam does not fall on the source of the light received by the receiver.
 4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wall and said fins are provided with a non reflective coating.
 5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said coating is matt black paint. 